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Gallowglass / Retinue of Inquisitor Gallowglass / Kilian Athanasius Kerensky / Dataslate *'A.D. 824M41231 2121, Benares Prime', sacred shrineworld of the divine Emperor. Thought of the day: In te divine Imperatore speravi non confundar in aeternum in iustitia tua salva me! Today my revered superiors granted me dispensation for a higher purpose, as Interrogator Sagisville requested my services for the Holy Inquisition. I regard that as a great note of trust and the direct will of the divine Emperor. My flesh and soul are dedicated to this holy task now, even though I feel a discomfort about my recruitment. I would have a better sense about that, not knowing the old bonds between my family and the revered Inquisitor Gallowglass, whose envoy Interrogater Sagisville is. In this I put all my trust into the love of my father and family and the divine Emperors providence. Tomorrow we will leave on board of the "Path of Holyness"- myself not only a memeber of the Holy Ecclessiarchy any more, but also of the Ordo Malleus. *'A.D. 824M41235 2029, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to unknown destination. Thought of the day: The divine Emperor is our harbour and our strength! I have accommodated on board of the "Path of Holyness" and slowly accustomed myself to the life on board. Father Demetrius the cleric of the ship serves already for 52 years in this place and is a rock of faith. He helped me adapting to the ships routines and allowes me to say the Holy Mass. Although Interrogator Sagisville is occupied with work for most of the time, we find moments to talk. Recently I asked him about our mission, but he stayed secretive to this topic. The only thing he told was, that we are gathering the members of a team, whereof I´ll be part. Furthermore he insinuated that we are heading towards a place in the "Golgenna Reaches" in the "Segmentum Obscurum". For now that is all the information, he could handover, as a mission-briefing will be held, when the whole team has assembeled. I keep contemplating about the way the Emperor has destined for me and spend a good part of my time with prayers, readings and exercising patience. For now I praise the Emperor for our calm journey and pray for further save passage through the vastnesses of the warp. Emperor, in thee I put my trust! *'A.D. 824M41248 1050, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', in orbit of deathworld "Gallowglass". Thought of the day: In necessitas unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus autem serva Imperatori! The Emperor watched over our journey, so that we have reached the first station of our voyage without any incidences. We are now at the rendezvous-point with the Emperor´s ship "Grace of Ultramar" in the orbit of the deathworld "Gallowglass". In contrary to our calm journey Interrogator Sagisville seems to be seriously concerned since we arrived here and is engaged with preparations for the gathering. I occupy myself with investigations about the "Segmentum Obscurum" and the pastoral care of the ships crew. Father Demetrius grants me a good share in this holy work on the Emperors folk and appears to appreciate my contribution to this particular mission, that had been solely his own so far. The ships crew is a remarkable community of brothers and sisters in spirit, and blessed by the Emperor! *'A.D. 824M41248 1751, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to unknown destination. Contemplation: I am full of hate for those, who go after false gods. The divine Emperor is my hope! The routine of our ship was broken, as the "Grace of Ultramar" arrived. The penal-transporter brought finally the first memeber of the team, that consisted solely of myself up to now. I was ordered on deck to meet my teammate and was taken aback by the sight of the chained creature, that was designated for that. Suddenly I understood Interrogator Sagisville´s business of the last hours as I felt immediately the same bad discomfort the Interrogator must have felt already long before, when we stood near to the convict, that had borded the "Path of Holyness". A squad of ten, heavily armed guardsmen at hand could not contribute to ease my feelings and for a moment the tension seemed even physically tangible as the Interrogator took off the chains from that sinister creature numbered 102-Alpha-23 by prison-authorities. It was obvious, that this man´s soul has been far from the Emperors light and propably still is. 102-Alpha-23 appeared as a lean man with eerie violet eyes, which seemed to gloom slightly, when we exchanged words for the very first time. It was just a short and cold introduction, whichafter 102-Alpha-23´s equipment was handed over and the rendezvous with the "Grace of Ultramar" terminated. After beenig back on route again Interrogator Sagisville handed over some protocolls about our new passenger to me and recomended their reading. These pieces of data did not only tell the obvious about this individual, like beeing a sanctioned psyker, but also the circumstances of his capturing, treatment and transfere. This classified information about the former convict, his mindwiped condition and his ever smiling affectation did not really help to put myself at ease, regarding him to bee the first of my compagnons now. In fact I was reminded of the thin line I have entered by joining the Holy Inquisition. I was reminded the differences then and now, when during my time in the Imperial Army psykers of such kind would have received the Emperor´s Grace instantly. No capturing, no treatments, only salvage of the soul. The Ordo Malleus on the other hand sometimes has to make use of such sinister individuals for some difficult reasons. I know now, how close to the demoniacal and the maw of hell I am, how narrow the way to salvation became and how ample to perdition and so I pray not only for myself but also for this poor sinner´s soul: May the right way never be lost, may the perils of warp pass by and if someone was lost to thine flock, Emperor, take him up in your grace again. Our faith is our shield and sword! The Emperor is our strength! No mercy for the Mutant and Haeretic! *'A.D. 824M41252 2301, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to unknown destination. Thought of the day: Fortiter in re, suaviter in mode! I had invited 102-Alpha-23 to the Mass after his arrival, since then he joined regularly our meditations. There is still this strong feeling of uneasiness, when he is in the room, nevertheless we had a few times supper together and I started to get used to his ever smiling face with that glooming-violet eyes. I am still wondering about his mindwiped condition and his devote behaviour. As it seems 102-Alpha-23 was subject to harsh conditioning-procedures during his imprisonment, making him over all obedient towards members of the Holy Ecclesiarchy. He never longs to be to close to other people, except of myself. Whenever we are together, he seems to be my shadow, standing right in my back. According to that I hope, that he attands the Holy Mass for his own souls sake and not for some other obscure reasons. At last faith is a matter of heart and not of force. Sanctioning psykers nevertheless means both at the same time: it means forcing the inner deamons away and blessing the psykers soul in everlasting communion with the divine Emperor. That, sometimes, is to much to bear for someones, especially when the teachings of the heart are forgotten, and the blessings of the soul start to crumble away. In this dangerous moments the psyker stands all alone against allurements and the dark forces of the Immaterium. The soul bereft of the divine Emperor´s guidence and protection lies bare before the Old Enemies to be misguided and consumed in the end. There is nothing to gain on this path, but much to lose. Should 102-Alpha-23 once have strayed that way, than it´s that, what he deserves. The psyker´s soul is either the daemons door or the instrument of the Emperor´s will. Both together is not possible and so the question remains, why should someone like 102-Alpha-23 be of value for our mission? *'A.D. 824M41255 2151, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to unknown destination. Thought of the day: Ora et labora! During the day I found that the "Golgenna Reach" lies in the "Calixes Sector" within the "Segmentum Obscurum". A great number of imperial worlds is located there and one will be the spot of our mission. Interrogator Sagisville stayes still silent to that topic and so I keep waiting and waiting for the rest of our team. Emperor, grant me patinece. *'A.D. 824M41256 2214, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to unknown destination. Thought of the day: The Emperor knows his own and his own know him! Gratefully I recognized todays arrival of our remaining team members. While I was asleep they were transferred from a ship, which already hit for another destination, when I awoke. So Sirhan al Zufar, Tanisha Bones, Miss Mary and Azrael Umbra were the next ones to join our team, only one or two further members left for pick up, as I was told. It was a pleasent surprise to find a kindred soul amongst that small smorgasbord of individualls, that have come on bord: Sirhan al Zufar, like myself, served in the same regiment of "Tallarn Desert Raiders" in the Imperial Army before he became a member of the Ordo Malleus. I enjoyed very much our small talks of today, although Sirhan always was on red alert. Seemingly our journey through the Immaterium took it´s toll on his nerves, as every shadow and sound caused a grip to his ever ready weapons. The fact that Sirhan kept his battle suit on and asked for seperat patrols on our deck contributed strongly to that impression. At least, aware of his behaviour, Sirhan explained that matter with an critical incident, that took place during one of his warp-transferres recently. I have already heard of such occurrences, but never experienced one, thanks to the divine Emperor´s protection. The evolution did not build human´s mind for direct confrontations with the emanations of the warp, but the divine Emperor tought, how to conquere it´s vastnesses. From the very beginning on the Godemperor has been the axis through the ages in human history, that led from the conquest of worlds to the possession of the whole Galaxy. And according to that, it can be regarded a matter of logic, that the Immaterium, like the stars themselfes, is part of the "Promised Land", where the Godemperor and his own will rule one day. Everything has been put in place for humankind by the divine Will of the Emperor long before the first of dawns. But for now the Xenos, Mutants and Heretics still try to undo the Emperor´s plan. Ignorant to their own doings, they can´t see, how they spoil the stars and the heavens with their sins, feeding Deamons and misguiding the weak. For this reasons we take the battle of enlightenment even to the gates of hell itself, fullfilling the inevitable. This holy work is done according to the promises of the divine Emperor to his folk- and as long as ones soul is unweavering in this task, death and deamons have no power. Sirhan al Zufar´s short report earned him my respect, as I have seen many people, whose inner strength turned to dust and ashes by the slightest sign of warpactivity- their minds crumbeling and going rightous into madness. Sirhan faced the perils of the warp and did not falter, he has kept fighting even harder, which made him one of the Emperor´s Chosen. It is a good feeling to have him on bord- May the Emperor always guide his ways! The other members of the team hurried to exchange words with most revered Inquisitor Gallowglasse´s envoy, so that I saw them only at the mass in the evening. After that time everyone had accomodated and already reported to the Interrogator. With Miss Mary, who calls herself "The Blooded", a second psyker joined in in our group, but she is more than that. She belongs to a convent of Sisters of Battle and is a though woman. For sure she has gone through a lot during her life, as she seems over all dedicated to fight. I could feel her inner tensions and I asked myself, what the opened third eye must mean for her, for this mutation is hardly tolerated amongst Battlesisters. I have to confess, that I have had my difficulties dealing with her sexual affectation of still beeing virgin- I know that there are many ways to serve the Emperor and living in celibacy is on of that, but presenting that fact, for it´s that, what it is for sure, on a silber tray puzzeld me somehow. Did she try to lure herself or me? In any way it was a feeling like beeing put on a battelfield with it´s very own regulas, when I spoke with her and it was a relief to see her affiliating a little bit with 102-Alpha-23. The next member, Azrael Umbra appeared as a silent man and backed out for most of time. He is feral-worlder, as his manners made undoubtedly obvious and his impressive stature testified for him to be a good soldier. Last but not least I had the pleasure to meet Tanisha Bones, a woman my age with a whiff of secrecy around herself. She acted wellmannered and courteously and I could sense the character of a person, whose trust is not earned easily. So this was our team so far, and except of 102-Alpha-23 and myself, it consisted of individuals, who were already forged together in formar missions. Regarding this fact I was struck by surprise, when at our first common meeting Sirhan al Zufar announced me to be the new head of this group. Up to now Tonus Ferreus, a Tech-Priest from Mars, played that role and I have kept wondering, how he will react to this change, as he is one of the absent teammates still to be picked up. For now I´ll stop writing as it is already late, but tomorrow I´ll have to exchange words with Interrogator Sagisville on the matter of leadership, as I still have doubts and miss his acceptance on that decision, which has been brought about so strangely and suddenly. *'A.D. 824M41260 2301, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to the sacred cemeteryworld Garnitor, planet of the divine Emperor. Thought of the day: Be strong and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land, which was promised to their fathers long before! The last four days brought along some surprises, that debared me from writing and I´ll humbly make up for that, as the following occurences have overshadowed our journey ever since. First of all my interlocution with Interrogator Sagisville about my latest appointment adduced the confirmation of Sirhan al Zufar´s words. There were no further enquieres or consultations, just consent and approval to my new leading position from revered Interrogator Sagisville on his part. I couldn´t help myself, but to think of this decision as to be agreed on long before our small task-force has assambeled here on board. Nevertheless or because of that my small conversation with Sagisville left me with the feeling I had already, when leaving Benares Prime. Without ever having seen the most revered Inquisitor Gallowglass, I had to realise his influence over my life. Old debts of honor bound my fate to the Inquisitor´s will and I asked myself, wether my appointment can be regarded an accolade, without having earned it by deeds, or not? I know, how my father regardes the most revered Inquisitor a true friend, but I can´t help feeling myself to be part of a barter, or beeing somekind of a late payback. Sure, I will not only come up to my new role for the old debts of my family, as it is a matter of family-honor, but also because it´s the divine Emperor´s will. Still I am troubeled by questions about the Emperor´s most revered servant and the game, he put me in, as the event´s, that followed, casted forward a shadow of what is to come. After my talk with Interrogator Sagisville I went off for the ship´s chapel to find resolution in silent conversation with the divine Emperor, when suddenly the vestrie´s bell started to knell. I regareded myself the only one in the chapel, so that the clarion toll of the bell broke in on me like the touch of a cold hand. Even more disturbing was the missing of any living soul in the chapel and the time of the chime itself, which was completly apart from the hours of the regular masses. The continouse sound of the bell put finally the heaviest strains on my nerves, as it was like the call of a silvertongued siren. For a moment I watched that little bell, like the harbinger of something evil: elsewise the resource of liturgical order, it´s sound perverted now the contemplative silence of the ship´s chapel. Should it finally had happened, that the Immaterium gained acces to our ship? Was this the first sign of intrusion, or just some mindless joke? This thoughts in mind, I took my path to the vestries entrance, where the bell still rang unhindered. Myself bound and determined to finish this blaspheme, which turned the small chapel to a place of profane discomfort I entered the sacristy through the small door beneath the ringing silverbell, finding myself somewhere completly else, than expected. All of a sudden I was not on board in the chapel´s vestry any more, but on the battleworn surface of Turgas III. I knew that planet from days before, when I took part in it´s siege and witnessed it´s final destruction by "Exterminatus". It was one of my first crusades, where I learned, what it meant to be a cleric in field. Everything I remebered, was exactly in front of me, as if I had been sent back in time to experience the events before the evacuation on Turgas III again. But soon I realised, that not only my memories arose infront of me. It was in fact a second visit to a time and place that, according to my knowledge, was already long gone. Turgas III was an Outer Rim Planet, mainly made up of deserts and some Hives, which were neuralgic spots, crowded with people. The Imperial Army then had order to protect and cleanse these Hives from the infestations of chaos and further to seek and destroy the enemy on this planet of the Godemperor. I was amongst the Tallarn 3rd Desert Tigers Regiment, that was stationed close to the frontline along one of the Hivecities on Turgas III. Most of the Hives at that point of war, have already become places of butchery and outright chaos, overrun by the forces of the Archenemy. Noone knew exactly, how the enemy could have gathered such masses of troops and pooled them together beyond our own lines or even bring them on the planet´s surface and so treachery and soccery was in every soldiers mouth. Still the morale of the imperial troops was high. When at the end things really started getting out of controll abominations beyond comprehension emerged from every corner and flooded the streets. The Generalstaff ordered then the evacuation of the cities and later on the evacuation of the whole planet. The former garrisons of the Hives became one after another the besiegers of their own citywalls and finally refugees from that damned places and the doomed planet itself. The orders for the Tallarn´s 3rd then were clear: close to the frontline it was the task to bring out as many people as possible and to cover the withdrawal as long as necessary. Of course this meant, that most of these soldiers would never reach a shuttel to orbit, as they were ordered to hold ground and buy time for the extraction of material and people. Receiving this order was a sure death sentence, as death would find one, either by sheer numbers of the enemie´s abominations or in the blazing fires of the "Exterminatus". As it is expected from soldiers the Tallarn women and men obeyed and fought bravley, unaware of their situtaion as High Command kept the "Exterminatus" secret. Only a few were informed, amongst that few myself. My place in these days was not at the extraction points, but with those commanded forward to the frontline. In military diction, I was ordered to ensure the morale of the troops, somekind of assisting the commissars- not with fear and bullets, but with inspiration and blessings. What is it to say to someone who is going sightlessly to sure death? In this situation my charm was my only help and relief. It has then like today been the conserved skull of an Astartes of the Blood Angels Legion, that was a gift of my parents after my first consecration. Up to now I couldn´t invastigate the Marines name, but the old burial-paintings on his skull tell, that sacrifice is the way to salvation, a sure path to reach communion with the Saints and the Emperor in eternity. Passing on this truth, retained the soldiers from despairing, beeing encirceled by death and carnage and granted myself a little piece of comfort. In those days I realised that no sacrifice is in vain, as long as someone is able to keep the right faith. I have never got to know, what it was, that terminated the extraction and initiated the "Exterminatus": was it the retrieval of some important person, or just some special material, or was it the overwhelming force of enemies and deamons? I don´t know. But what I know is, that a few women and men saved with their lifes those of many. Before this whole mission came to that end, I realiesed a soldier amongst the men ordered to the front, whom, according to my holy duty, I had to bless in the name of the divine Emperor. I couldn´t know then, that I should meet that man once again. In this strange kind of experience, going through the past events of Turgas III, I tried not to stray from my course and to keep my way. Knowing that I should be on board of the "Path of Holyness", I sought for something to hold on: someone of the crew, my new teammates, some hint of the ship, I should be on- or just something familiar, that would bring me back on board and banish this phantoms, all along with the delusive feeling, that I have the chance to change the past. And alas it worked! What I was looking for, stood infront of me as the soldier I was about to bless- it was Sirhan al Zufar. Have I forgotten about our encounter then? Was this some kind of holy vision, a hint from the heavens or the work of deamons? Anyway, Turgas III was for sure the first time, that I met Sirhan al Zufar, as one of that soldiers, ordered to their final stand. Who can claim to know the miraculous ways of the divine Emperor? But this man made his way from the doomed planet and was right now on board of the same ship, like myself. Blessing him with all my heart I decided to submit myself to the resurgent battlegrounds of Turgas III. I joined the last squad of men storming the Hive´s walls, while Sirhan led his squad on another mission, having the certainty, that we will meet again. And by doing so, that, what seemed to be the long gone planet Turgas III faded away and gave place to the ship´s chapel again, where I was still standing in the entrance of the vestry, hearing the last gentle ring of the little bell. *'A.D. 824M41261 2138, Inquisitorial Ship: "Path of Holyness"', transfer to the sacred cemeteryworld Garnitor, planet of the divine Emperor. Thought of the day: Discite iustitiam moniti et non temnere divinem Imperatorem! Category:Gallowglass